Complementary Colors
by Rainfelt aka Phoe-chan
Summary: [NaruSasu AU] Sasuke, a talented and excellent student at Konoha High, has a crush on Naruto, the school's gregarious star athlete. But he's too shy to tell him! What's a guy to do? Part 5 of 5. Complete.
1. Prologue

**AN: **I'm using a stylistic type of narrating that I don't often use, although it fades out through the chapter. I'll try to start off each chapter with the same style and just sorta drift into something more static. So, enjoy the story! Oh, and it's NaruSasu btw. And Sasuke is sorely OOC. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

**Complementary Colors**

_Prologue_

* * *

There are many types of people in the world. You have those who excel in the arts, those who are born athletes, those with ingenious minds, those who are always positive, those who are negative, those who are assholes… and so forth. But I digress. The point is—they say opposites attract but they don't have to be polar opposites on the different ends of a spectrum. They just have to have enough in common to maintain a bond yet still have their own interests to be different. It's a delicate balance, enforced by the saying "there's a fine line between love and hate" but in the end it's worth it even if it doesn't work out for there's the experience that comes with it.

Take Uchiha Sasuke for example: A young man of 17 in high school who excels in all forms of traditional and fine arts. Also an excellent student with top grades and blessed with porcelain doll looks that make the girls swoon, he keeps a quiet, almost shy personality, turning down the girls' proposals for dates with as much politeness as he can muster before quickly disappearing down a corner with his sketchpad in his arms and ideas churning in his mind.

The young man has slowly realized that he's developed a sort of…crush, if you will. Well, that's a lie. It's all but a full blown-out obsession and it's all he can do to keep from freaking out about the situation. Because it's absurd, really, how he, Uchiha Sasuke, has developed feelings for another person! A _guy_ no less! Oh, but not just any guy, no, Sasuke wouldn't settle for someone _normal_. No, this young man was special and Sasuke knew it.

But so did the rest of Konoha High School, apparently.

So now, Sasuke had to find a way to get the nerve to confess his feelings to the boy without embarrassing himself and without getting his ass pummeled at the same time. It was going to be hard for a number of reasons… I mean, the boy was as straight as they came! He was the epitome of testosterone, a born athlete with a gorgeous body, making wisecracks and always having at least one girl hanging off of each arm. Hell, he was even a beach boy, what with that beautiful blond hair that _had_ to be just as soft as it looked, those baby blue eyes that sparkled with mirth all the time and oh, my God, don't even get me started on that tan. That gorgeous tan that screamed he soaked up sunlight like a sponge only to radiate it back out to everyone he came in contact with which leads to his personality. He was always smiling! Even when he was getting scolded by a teacher for falling asleep in class or when he was hit hard in a game of football, he always had that grin on his face, stretching across cheeks that adorned the most adorable whisker marks, making him look all the more mischievous. He was always full of jokes and compliments and befriended everybody. There wasn't one person that hated him! It was like he had it all…

Maybe he did.

And as much as Sasuke was attracted to him, he kind of envied him as well.

This teenager named Uzumaki Naruto.

Yet, this did not deter him in the slightest from his recently developed habits of the past school year, one of which he was participating in now. It was Naruto's gym class (Sasuke made it a point to memorize his schedule two weeks into the semester) and it was Sasuke's free period so Sasuke was seated on the bleachers among a few random people, though a little secluded, and was watching Naruto play a scrimmage of basketball with some of the other students.

Sasuke's sketchbook was opened to a fresh new page, his pencil hovering over the paper as he watched his obsession swerve around an opponent, passing the ball to one of his teammates; face red from exertion, skin glistening with perspiration and that ever-present smile on his face. Sasuke seemed to block out everything else around him and hone in on the one thing that was keeping him in the gym.

…Which is why he probably started when he felt someone's arm rest on his head. "Ne, Sasuke-kun, you're drooling."

Sasuke flushed and craned his neck a little, despite the limb resting on his head like an armrest to see his best friend, Sakura, smirking down at him, a piece of pocky between her fingers. "I was not…" He retorted softly, cheeks darkening some.

Sakura's grin widened a bit as she nibbled on her treat. "OK, you weren't; but you certainly had that dreamy look in your eyes. And you didn't even notice me coming up beside you. Silly, you should just tell him."

Sasuke turned his head back, watching Naruto jump and shoot the ball smoothly through the net. "Sakura, I can't!"

Sakura gave a laugh, sitting down beside him, resting her forearms on her legs, pocky between her teeth as her faded jean jacket brushed against his black shirt. "I know, I know. Still, you'll never know unless you make a move. Tell ya what; a group of us are going to a light party tonight being held by Lee-san. The team's celebrating their victory over Suna High and so they're ordering pizza and watching a few movies, playing some games 'n stuff. Lee-san said we could bring friends if we wanted because his house is certainly big enough. Why don't you come with? Naruto'll be there along with some people you'll know so it won't be that awkward and I'll be there in case you get a little nervous. I know you don't do well in crowds."

Sasuke paused, glancing over at her, face blank, a sign he was in thought. It sounded like a good idea. He had no plans for the evening and it was a Friday night, meaning that he didn't have to worry about getting up at any particular time. And it was a comfortable atmosphere… what, with movies and friendly talking, and he was familiar with a lot of the team members, including Lee since he and Sakura hung out together a lot. He gave a soft smile and looked at her, eyes crinkling slightly. "OK. I'll go."

"Great!" Sakura chirped, glad he took the invite. "It'll be so much nicer knowing my best friend will be there," Sakura added, grinning and resting her head on his shoulder playfully, hugging his arm and batting her eyelashes jokingly. Sasuke rolled his eyes and bit back a grin. Sakura was great. When they were in middle school, she used to have a big crush on him like everyone else but she was assigned to work with him on a project. She'd been ecstatic of course, but while working with him she started to see him more as a person who needed a friend. Slowly her crush for his looks and enigmatic personality faded into the want to befriend the quiet young man who had no parents and no one to confide in. The biggest catalyst in their friendship was a few weeks later when Sakura was walking home and heard noises coming from an alleyway. She investigated to find a group of students from another school cornering Sasuke with none-too-friendly intentions.

Needless to say, Sasuke was shocked to see a 13-year-old girl beat the shit out of five guys twice her size. It was then he realized she really wanted to be his friend and wasn't pining after him because of his looks. She was the first person to stick up for him that wasn't his brother.

After that they nearly became attached at the hip. Many girls grew jealous and sometimes Sakura would scare them off when they pestered Sasuke. She became one of his first true friends and definitely his best friend. She was the first to know of his crush on Naruto. Hell, she knew it before Sasuke did, and she'd been encouraging him to act on it, especially since their senior year had just started and then they'd all be going to college next year. Now, she had just given him a perfect opportunity to at least get acquainted with Naruto.

"As long as you don't abandon me," Sasuke teased, looking down at the pink head resting on his shoulder. He felt Sakura snicker beside him.

"Nah, you'd freeze up and I'd have to carry your shell-shocked ass home."

Sasuke lightly hit her, a pout forming on his lips. That only resulted in another snicker from her. Sakura reached in her purse and pulled out her box of pocky, holding it out. "Want a piece?"

"What flavor is it?" Sasuke inquired, looking up from his sketchbook.

"Green tea, don't worry, it's not that sweet."

Sasuke nodded, not that she could see and took a piece, putting it in his mouth. He raised his head when he heard the whistle blow and watched as the teams dispersed. "Good work today, boys! You can go ahead and get changed back and have a lively and youthful weekend!"

The team waved the thick-browed gym teacher off as they trekked toward the locker rooms, passing by the bleachers as they went. Lee stopped, stepping over to Sasuke and Sakura. "Sakura-san! Sasuke-san! Nice to see you two here! Sakura-san, are you coming to the party tonight?"

"Yup! I'm also bringing Sasuke with me, if that's OK with you."

Lee brightened even more. "Of course it is! I'd be glad to have you over, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke gave an almost-smile and nodded in thanks before his eyes widened slightly and he froze. Sakura felt him stiffen and glanced behind Lee before smiling widely. "Naruto!"

The blond rested his elbow on Lee's shoulder as he grinned at the two. "Hey, Sakura-chan," He teased, adding the suffix. "So I hear you're coming tonight and you're bringing a friend along?" Naruto's eyes shifted to Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke, right? We have a couple of classes together this semester." He held out his hand.

Sasuke's pale cheeks turned a slight pink as he took Naruto's hand and shook it lightly. "Yes, we do," He murmured quietly, not meeting his gaze.

Naruto seemed to not notice the boys demur attitude as he glanced between Sakura and Sasuke. "Sakura-chan! You didn't tell me he was your boyfriend! I'm heartbroken!" He lamented dramatically, a hand clutching his heart. Lee began laughing as Sasuke colored darkly and Sakura stuck her tongue out at him.

"He's not my boyfriend, stupid. He's my _best_ friend. You should know that if you love me so much," She pouted, playing along with their joking charade.

Naruto grinned again, waving his hand. "Sorry, 'bout that, s'just you two looked so cozy and well, he's certainly cute so he seemed like your type…"

"Hey! I'm not all about looks!" Sakura retorted indignantly, her brow furrowed. Naruto laughed and waved his hands in a pacifying manner. If he had looked though, he would've noticed how Sasuke was staring at his hands clenched above his now-closed sketchbook, bangs covering red cheeks.

"Ah, anyway, I gotta get cleaned up for my next class. I got that one with you, right Sasuke?" The boy nodded and Naruto tilted his head some, nonplussed at his attitude. "Anyways, I'll see you tonight, Sakura-chan. Dress pretty for me, now!" He said as he passed by the two, reaching up to ruffle Sasuke's hair as he walked by. "And you, too, pretty-boy!"

He threw his hand up in a wave as he walked back to the locker rooms. Lee announced his departure, leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone. Sakura looked over at him and grinned. "Well, now, that went well," She commented. Sasuke looked over at her with bright red cheeks as she brushed some of his hair with her fingers to settle it back down. "I think he _likes_ you, Sasuke-kun."

"S-stop teasing me, Sakura!" Sasuke hissed softly, not as much from anger but from embarrassment. Sakura chuckled and stood up, pulling her purse over her shoulder. "Who said I was teasing?" She inquired as she blew him a kiss and walked off. "I'll see you after school, hun!"

Sasuke could only nod dumbly at her as she left. Willing the blood to move away from his face, he glanced down at his watch and realized he was going to be late if he didn't hurry up. Grabbing his things, Sasuke made a beeline for the exit, heading toward his next class, lost in thought. If he made it through the rest of the day it would be a miracle…

* * *

**AN: **So, uh very mild for a prologue. Hopefully this won't be very long. I mean, it has potential to be a long fic but I have soooo many to work on… (glances forlornly at the growing list)

So! Enjoy the Uke-Sasuke and Best-Friend-Sakura and Uber-Popular-Naruto!

_Phoe-chan the kinda-not-so-maybe-witty._


	2. Chapter 1: DDR Party

**AN:** I've been suffering DDR withdrawals. Thus, DDR makes a big appearance in this chapter. Just warning you all beforehand. Phoe-chan is a huge geek.

**Disclaimer**: I disclaim.

* * *

**Complimentary Colors**

_Chapter 1: DDR Party_

* * *

Now, see, there is a setting that has been given to you, the reader. We know, in fact, there is a party that Sasuke is going to attend and that his obsession, Naruto, will be present as well. As good as this all sounds, we must remember, folks, that Sasuke may have a little trouble expressing what he wants to say.

"B-But, Sakura! It's a casual party! I can't wear _that!_"

…Let's make that a lot of trouble.

Sakura sighed, and turned to the teen, putting her hands on her hips. Clothes were strewed about all around her and almost every piece of article in Sasuke's closet was no longer on its hanger. "I don't even know why you have some of this stuff if you're never going to wear it," She muttered under her breath.

Sasuke pouted, sitting on the floor, pulling the shirt off of his head that Sakura had thrown a few moments prior. "Can't I just wear something normal?"

"You want to impress Naruto, right?"

"I…"

"Great! So let's see… I'm sure you got something workable in here…"

Sasuke sighed and looked to the heavens, mouthing 'save me' to whoever may be up there.

"Oh… Sasuke is that vinyl leather I see?"

He added a 'please' to his silent prayer.

* * *

It was sometime later when Sasuke found himself being pushed to the front door of a house he'd never been to, in clothes he never thought he'd wear and repeating a mantra he never thought he'd say.

'_OhGodKillMeNow.'_

Yeah. Sasuke was nervous. …Just a tad.

Sakura gave a frustrated growl behind him and leaned past him, ringing the doorbell. Before Sasuke had a chance to turn and flee, the front door swung open and Lee stood there in all his glory of a bright green sweater with a big "K" on the front. Team spirit, much?

"Sasuke-kun! Sakura-san! You came! Please come in and make yourself at home! I think Naruto-kun's almost convinced Neji-kun to try a round of DDR."

Sasuke nearly choked on his own saliva at that mental image. Why hadn't he brought his camera? Sakura was apparently thinking the same thing.

"Damnit!" She hissed. "Should've brought my camera…"

Lee ushered them in, telling Sakura he had a video camera somewhere and would dig it out later. Sakura told him she was going to hold him to that and dragged Sasuke inside the house.

The door shut with a click. He was officially trapped.

Well, more like rooted to the spot, watching as Naruto kept nudging Neji toward the foam pad on the floor that had arrows sticking in the four cardinal directions. "C'mon Nejiiiii. Scared you'll slip up?"

The long-haired young man scoffed. "Of course not."

"Then take a shot at it!"

"I will not make a fool of myself like Lee."

Lee beamed. Naruto sighed and turned to the others in the room. "Hear that guys? Neji doesn't have the what it takes to play with the big boys."

Neji twitched. "Naruto…"

"I mean, I can understand… most white guys don't have DDR skills but for an ASIAN guy to not have the skill is a cryin' shame. Don't worry, Neji. We won't tell anyone."

Sasuke could swear Neji snarled as he stood up, tossed his long, raven hair over his shoulder and stepped onto the pad. "Prepare to eat your words, Uzumaki."

Naruto had a very smug and satisfied look on his face. Turning, he greeted the two newest guests with a wide grin and his arms outstretched, almost mirroring Lee a few minutes ago. "Sakura-chan! I knew you couldn't resist my charm and clever wiles for too long!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, hugging Naruto. "Of course not. I go where the good food is."

Naruto pouted before turning his attention to Sasuke, who became vaguely aware that his shoes were feeling like lead. Yes, that's why he was rooted to the spot. And they were on fire, too, which was why he was sweating.

"Yo, Sasuke!" Naruto greeted, wrapping an arm around Sasuke's shoulders and steering him into the living room where Neji was making a new record and not even breaking a sweat.

It seemed everyone else in the room was sweating for him.

Or were they panting…?

The brunette ended with a jump, received his score, and gave a haughty look to Naruto before sitting down and taking a deep breath, tossing his hair back once again.

He'd taken everyone else's breath away, too.

Even Sakura was looking a little flushed. "Wow… he's good."

Sasuke 'hmph'd' before freezing when Naruto looked over at him. "Say something?"

The brunette squeaked out a 'no' before he found himself being guided to the sofa and made to sit down. A heavy weight settled beside him as Naruto reached his hand up. "Lee! Gimme a coke and… uh, …Sasuke what do you want?"

Sasuke had to force himself to not say anything extremely stupid. "C-coke's fine."

Sakura arched a brow. "You don't drink soft drinks…" She muttered to him.

"First time for everything?" Sasuke squeaked again as Lee handed him an unopened can of Coke. Sasuke made to open his to see Naruto had already chugged away about half of his own.

Sakura sweatdropped. "God, Naruto. You're such a pig."

"Aww, no I'm not, Sakura-chan! I'm a growin' boy!"

'_Man.' _Sasuke mentally corrected, taking a sip of his drink. '_Definitely a man.' _Sasuke's eyes lingered on Naruto's form for a split second. _'Yup. Man.'_

Naruto, obviously to Sasuke's appraising looks, hooted as one of his classmates, Kiba, got up to show off his DDR moves.

Needless to say, Neji was perfectly sure that _no one_ would be breaking his record anytime soon.

It was indeed a comfortable atmosphere. Sasuke even knew most of the people there; with the exception of maybe one or two students he couldn't place names to their faces. Sakura often left to speak to others but would always come back to check up on him.

Not that she needed to. Interestingly enough, Naruto hadn't left his side. Granted, Sasuke hadn't moved an inch and the sofa was rather comfortable, but still the blond made everyone else come talk to him instead of going to them. "I'm relaxin'!" He'd say before reclining back into his seat, draping his arms across the back of the sofa and innocently behind Sasuke in the process.

This only caused the young Uchiha to blush brightly and straighten up, his back rigid, becoming the epitome of posture.

Finally, everyone had taken a round at the DDR game, even Sakura, who did excellent and ranked right up there beside Neji who admired her talent the only way he could: Broodingly.

"So! Everyone gone at least once?" Naruto inquired as he glanced around the room. His eyes settled on Sasuke and a broad smirk crossed his features. "Oh wait… Sasuke-kun hasn't gone!"

Sasuke squeaked. His mind was reeling over Naruto tacking '-kun' to the end of his name and the fact that Naruto wanted him to get up and dance in front of a bunch of people. He was going to _kill_ Sakura for dragging him along.

Before he realized what was going on, Naruto had maneuvered him up in front of the TV and onto the soft foam pad with the brightly colored arrow buttons. "Choose your song, Sasuke!"

Sasuke gave a pleading look to Sakura who smirked and pretended that she couldn't understand what he wanted. He glared at her before turning back to the TV. Right… He could do this…

Whoever was up in the clouds wanted him dead. Sighing, he tapped his foot on the right arrow and began to go down the list of songs, stopping on one he particularly liked. _'Oh, why the hell not?'_

With that, he hit the select button and gulped. Sure, he'd played a little bit with Sakura, but never in FRONT of people…

Naruto gaped. "Afronova! You're going to dance to _Afronova!"_

Sasuke squeezed his eyes closed as the music started open before realizing he would need to see the steps to dance to them. The arrows made their appearance and Sasuke swallowed what was left of his nervousness and moved.

OK, so maybe 'a little bit' was a mild understatement. Sasuke liked DDR. And he had the uncanny ability to read steps faster than anyone else he knew.

Which is why he ended the song with a max combo and new high score. Neji was bristling, Sakura was whistling and others clapped. Naruto looked amazed. "Dude! You got some skills! You must go to the arcade all the time!"

Sasuke flushed a little bit and sat back down beside Naruto. "Not really… Sakura and I play at home sometimes…"

"That explains how Sakura can freestyle End of the Century…" Naruto muttered to himself.

Lee was putting in a movie for them all to watch as a select few excused themselves, saying they had somewhere else to be. About eight or nine people remained, all of whom Sasuke at least knew their names. Lee's living room was huge, and everyone was seated comfortably somewhere in there. Sasuke sat on one end of a sofa, Naruto beside him and a guy named Shikamaru half asleep on the other end. Sakura was sitting beside Neji and had somehow managed to pull him into a conversation. He seemed to be a bit more interested than he was trying to let on. Lee was sitting in front of a large armchair that was seating a girl named Tenten and over on the floor were a plump young man with a large bowl of chips and another boy with a dog sitting on his head, Chouji and Kiba.

The lights were down and Lee's booming surround sound system pulled their attention toward the large TV screen as the movie started. Sasuke's brows rose to find Neji's arm casually draping on the back of the sofa behind Sakura, who had grabbed a pillow to hold on. What was the movie they were watching? He hadn't been paying attention…

He sneakily let his eyes glance over to Naruto who had been prodding a now-snoozing Shikamaru with his finger. The man hadn't budged and Naruto gave up, looking over to Sasuke. "Out like a light," He whispered before settling back into his seat. "Perfect."

Sasuke was about to ask why it was 'perfect' when Naruto sprawled across the length of the sofa, propping his feet on Shikamaru and his head in Sasuke's lap. Sasuke could've _died_ right there.

'_OhGodOhGodOhGod!'_ Sasuke whimpered, willing all his blood to not travel southward. Naruto seemed oblivious as he made himself comfortable. "Ah… what movie is this again, Lee?"

"Grease," Lee replied.

Sasuke's jaw fell.

Tenten sighed, "It's RENT. Lee couldn't tell the difference between Monty Python and Harry Potter if you gave him the DVD cases."

"They're both British!" Lee countered.

"Oooh," Naruto replied, snuggling deeper into the sofa and Sasuke's lap.

Sasuke inwardly groaned. HOW was he supposed to enjoy a movie when he had the object of his affections doing _this_ to him!

"Hey, Sasuke, could you scratch my head? It feels good."

The answer was obvious. He wasn't supposed to focus on the movie. Resigning to his fate, Sasuke reached up and began to scratch Naruto's scalp through tuffs of blond hair.

This would be the ultimate trial of his willpower.

_To be continued…_

* * *

**AN:** First of all, those who have been patient, thank you. If you would take the time to look at my profile you would see that I am on a temporary hiatus. I don't know when I'll get back to writing on a regular basis but all I ask is that you be patient.

Those of you who are familiar with DDR will probably find this chapter a bit more humorous than others but at least I updated something! Woo! Of course, the image of Neji doing DDR will forever be engrained into my memory.

Your reviews and comments are appreciated and thanks for keeping in tune! I wish I could respond to them all but there are so many! (shock)

Oh, and "D"… my brother goes by "D" so when I read your review I was like "Oh, God, my brother read this!" XD

_Phoe-chan_


	3. Chapter 2: And When the Lights Go Out

**AN:** I feel as though I should offer something to pacify the Naruto fans I have accumulated through the years hoping I might update. Truth is, although I dislike that I have left stories finished, it has been years since I kept up with the series. I don't even know what has happened short of what I have gleaned from my husband who still reads the manga on occasion. To do research to complete some of my bigger pieces (like Child of the Earth) would be beyond my capabilities right now with school and work. This piece, however, is AU and easy to pick up from where I left off in the fact that I don't need to follow canon. I can't half remember what I was going to do with it, buuuut I can finish it and give people some peace of mind. There will be one or two more chapters after this one, but at least it's something, right?

I am sorry for the long wait and for the several years gap in writing maturity this chapter will have on the previous two...

**Warnings:** OOCness, majorly on Sasuke's part.

* * *

**Complementary Colors**

_Chapter 2: And When the Lights Go Out..._

* * *

And now you see, readers, the setting has been woven for you, spun out into a delicate and precarious scene involving Sasuke's willpower in an epic fight against Naruto's desire to be obliviously flirty.

RENT had played through without Sasuke herniating. His fingers might have gotten a little tired of sifting through blond hair, but his mind had not, insisting upon the action like it might be the lifeline holding him together. Quite possibly, it was. If he did not keep focused on this one thing he was pretty sure Naruto might request a back rub or something even more nefarious, and then Sasuke _would_ die.

Naruto himself had been fairly quiet as far as loud, popular blonds went. He threw in an occasional quip, but had otherwise contented himself with keeping his head in Sasuke's lap. He had shifted once or twice to better his position, and Sasuke was incredibly glad that his hoodie gave him some measure of lap protection from Naruto's head. Anything more intimate and Naruto would notice a very serious problem.

And then Sasuke would not simply die, no he would have to kill himself. And quite possibly everyone else in the room as witnesses. He _might_ let Sakura live. Might.

Now the movie in question was supposed to be something scary and popular, but Sasuke had missed the name when Naruto took a moment to stretch. The sofa had been cleared of a disgruntled Shikamaru who had been somewhat exasperated to find Naruto's sock-covered feet in his lap upon waking up. He and Chouji had to leave, and Kiba had bowed out as well. Naruto had offered the spare seat to TenTen as he stretched his arms over his head. Tenten waved him off with stating she was not interested in being part of the _bromance_ forming on the sofa. Sasuke went near-catatonic from embarrassment, especially when Naruto simply _laughed_ and wrapped an arm around the brunette's shoulders and pulled him close.

Sasuke was pretty sure he might have squeaked. And then he realized belatedly he had missed the title of the movie, and they were onto the beginning. A couple of people shuffled for drink refills or popcorn, but then Lee insisted they settle down and turn out all the lights for the full movie effect.

Sasuke was both scared and incredibly anxious for what exactly might happen if he were to be alone on the sofa with Naruto in the dark.

He swallowed when Lee cut out all the lights, leaving them in nothing but the glow from the television. And then he felt hot breath on his ear as Naruto leaned in and offered in his best creepy voice, "Muahahahaha."

Sasuke had no idea if he was going for scary or sexy or a combination thereof, but he was sure the sharp intake of breath on his part had pleased Naruto, because then he heard a stifled giggle-snort, and the blond relaxed his grip on Sasuke's shoulders.

Had they been that close that entire exchange?! Deflating like a balloon, Sasuke sunk into the sofa cushions, Naruto's arm a pillow, and allowed his glazed-over eyes to fall on the movie. His brain was fried. Officially. Fried.

* * *

The film was one of those ridiculous hack-and-slash horrors. The ones with no plot and lots of gore, and a gratuitous shot of some female with her shirt off. Sasuke sighed. How did they go from RENT to this?

They had gotten a good ways into the movie, with the occasional gasp or yelp coming from various individuals at alleged scary parts. At one point, Sasuke suspected Neji _might_ have jumped. Maybe. It was hard to tell.

Sasuke was bored. These movies drove him absolutely crazy because they were so stupid and yet so popular. Sighing once again when one of the characters decided it would be best to see what was on the other side of the door instead of backtracking to the rest of the group, he draped his head back against his pillow.

Arm.

Right, Naruto's arm.

How had he forgotten? Sasuke chanced a glance over to Naruto to see he was actually somewhat intent on the movie. Go figure. His crush _would _ enjoy things like these. Well, no one was perfect.

Naruto was just close.

The character died just a minute after that, and Sasuke was amused to see Naruto jump just a little right before blood went flying. His lips quirked upward, and Naruto pulled his attention away from the movie to see Sasuke grinning at him.

Sasuke was not sure but...he could have sworn Naruto blushed. "Nervous twitch."

The brunette arched a brow and muttered softly, "I'm sure."

"It was!" Naruto insisted softly, trying not to disturb the movie. "I'm not scared!"

"Need me to hold your hand?" Sasuke was not one for teasing, but it just was too much of an opportunity.

Naruto opened his mouth to snap back a reply, paused, then grinned. "Well, if you're offering..."

Sasuke's eyes were wide as saucers as the arm on the back of the sofa withdrew and he felt warm fingers wrap around his cooler ones. '_Omigodhesholdingmyhand._'

Naruto chuckled at the look on Sasuke's face. "Maybe you should think before you speak, Sasuke. I thought you were the smart kid."

Sasuke blinked, before ducking his head. He refused to rise up to the teasing. Especially since he really did not _mind_ that Naruto was holding his hand.

He glanced down to their interlocked fingers. No, he did not mind at all.

Suddenly, he did not want this movie to end. Unfortunately, it did. And it was late. Sasuke reluctantly pulled his fingers from Naruto's when the lights came back on. Lee was disturbingly full of energy as he bustled about, offering anyone and everyone anything and everything before they left.

Sakura had exchanged a few words with Neji, and Sasuke was somewhat curious about the interaction between the two. He said nothing though, noting Tenten, Naruto and Lee were heavily discussing the lack of realism in the way the last guy had died. He heard Tenten insist that it was not that easy to sever a torso in two with a rusty blade, and he could have sworn he heard her add, _"I would know."_

Sasuke paused at that, and decided to not even touch that one. Or ever be alone with Tenten. Or in public with her, for that matter. Or around her with any sharp objects... etc, etc...

He stiffened when an arm looped through his, but relaxed when he heard a familiar chuckle. Sakura smirked at him in that irritating way that suggested she _knew_ something he did not.

Or knew something he also knew—Naruto was a very touchy-feely person. He suspected she had elected to not tell him this prior.

Oh, he would so get her for that.

"Before you say anything, you know you enjoyed it."

Damnit, how did she know?!

Sasuke grumbled something irritably as she navigated them toward the door, calling out goodbyes. They were on their way to Sakura's car when the door opened and closed behind them. Sasuke paid it little mind, brain still comprehending Naruto's affectionate...affections when someone pressed himself in between them. "Geesh, rush out will ya?"

Naruto was going to put Sasuke in the hospital for high blood pressure, he was sure. Sasuke exhaled softly, noting the growing familiar weight of Naruto's arm had draped over his shoulders once again. The other arm was over Sakura's shoulders, and she looked amused.

"Well," Sakura drawled, "You were in such a heated debate, we did not wish to interrupt you and your horror movie discussion."

Naruto laughed, his voice sending warm shivers down Sasuke's spine. "Well, fine. Whatever. I'll see you guys later, all right? Night Sakura, Sasuke!"

Sasuke thought that was the end. However, Naruto then chose to lean over and plaster a big wet kiss on Sakura's cheek, to which she squealed and made a comparison to a slobbering dog. Naruto laughed, and before Sasuke's brain could catch up, he grabbed the brunette's face and planted a similar kiss on his cheek as well. It made a very sounding smack against his skin, and Sasuke nearly tripped off the sidewalk into a gutter.

With a cackle, Naruto pulled away, shouting goodnight and ran off to his car before Sakura could deck him.

"Eugh, why does he do crap like that?!" Sakura groaned, wiping at her face with her sleeve.

Sasuke stared into space, saliva shining on his cheek under the light of the lamppost.

Sakura had to practically shove him into her car.

* * *

It had taken Sasuke another hour to mentally process what happened. Lucky for him, his catatonia at least meant Sakura's teasing did little; in fact he barely heard her questions or prods about the evening.

By the time his brain had finally caught up with his body that was on auto-pilot, he was sitting in bed reading, simply unable to go to sleep yet. He had also been stuck on the same page for about seven or eight minutes at least.

The phone chiming snapped him out of his distracted thoughts. He was not sure who would be texting him at this time of night, but he reached over for it anyway.

He arched a brow at the number he did not recognize, and almost thought to delete it on principal. It was likely a wrong number anyway. However, he opened it just in case.

He stared.

"_Hey, it's Naruto. Hope you're not asleep yet! Sorry if you are! Wanna meet me after practice tomorrow and hang out? Like, 2-ish? Oh, I'm not a creepy stalker or anything. Sakura gave me your number. So how's bout it?"_

Sasuke twitched. That conniving, evil, meddling, pink-haired little tart!

He hit reply.

"_OK, cool."_

There. That sounded neutral enough. Naruto would never know that Sasuke let out a little noise that sounded suspiciously delighted—it was _not _a squeal—and proceeded to add Naruto's number to his contact list.

It was not a date. But it so was.

Sasuke was a happy man.

* * *

_To be concluded in Part 4. In theory._

_Please comment._

_-Phoe-chan_


	4. Chapter 3: Because Dinner and a Movie

**AN:** _I apologize, as this is not the last chapter. Ended up being longer than I anticipated, and I do not wish to alter the flow of the story by creating an exceptionally long final chapter, so there is one more to go._

**Warnings: **Sasuke mentally bashes football. I apologize to any sports fans. Also, Naruto has a pottymouth.

* * *

**Complementary Colors**

_Chapter 4: Because Dinner and a Movie is so Overrated._

* * *

It had taken Sasuke one hour and thirty seven minutes to get ready for his not-date. He only knew that because he had glanced at the clock in three minute intervals willing time to go by faster. It was not like he was obsessive-compulsive, or any such ridiculous notion.

Wait.

Obsessive-compulsive actually sounded much better. Right.

With a sigh, he checked his appearance once more before mentally ticking off a checklist in his head. Satisfied, he stepped out the door.

* * *

He arrived a few minutes before two, walking along the sidewalk towards the fields. The trees provided ample shade, sunlight dappling through and he shielded his eyes as he skimmed the teenagers scattered on the fields. Sasuke did not know much about football, largely because he made a point of _not knowing _about football. Obsession with Naruto or not, that was one thing he simply refused to get involved in.

Ugh, Neanderthals, all of them. Well, perhaps that was a little unfair. _H. neandertalensis _was a little too evolutionarily advanced for the ridiculous sport that was football. Perhaps an earlier hominid species would be a better comparison... maybe _H. heidelbergensis, _or maybe even _H. erectus..._

Sasuke paused, and then inwardly groaned. Was he really so nervous that he had resorted to comparing football to early hominids? Was he really so nervous that he had went full-nerd-mode?

Yes.

Stopping and taking in a deep breath, Sasuke centered himself and once again surveyed the field, with a much more neutral standpoint. Honestly, with all those helmets, it was not like he could pick out who was whom anyway. And despite his beyond-excellent eyesight, he could not read the names on the backs of the uniforms. Knowing that, he figured he could sit down and wait until practice was over. He made his way over to the bleachers and took a seat at the corner, underneath one of the few spots that had some measure of shade. Crossing his legs comfortably, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the web page he had been browsing earlier. At least it would keep him occupied, thought it would do little to calm his nerves.

Some few minutes later, while Sasuke was somewhat absorbed into a detailed analysis of the snake's anatomical structure, the whistle blew and the practice came to an end. Sasuke glanced up out of the corner of his eye, watching various players, until one seemed to look around. The individual looked in Sasuke's direction, then began to jog over to him.

He came to a walk just a few feet away, pulling his helmet off as he went. "Hiya!" Naruto chirped brightly. "Not been waiting long, right?"

Sasuke shook his head, smiling slightly. "You leaving like that?"

"Um..." Naruto glanced down at himself, sweaty, dirty and covered in grass stains. "I'm thinking no. Wanna wait like, five minutes while I clean up?"

"I am worried about your hygiene if it's only going to take you five minutes," Sasuke replied, arching a brow.

"Pppffft. Dirt is good for you! Keeps you from like, getting sick or something. I'll be right back!" Naruto was already running off even before he finished his sentence, leaving Sasuke shaking his head.

Correction. Leaving Sasuke shaking his head while watching Naruto's backside.

OK, maybe football had one thing going for it. The pants.

* * *

To be fair, it took Naruto a whopping eight minutes and twenty four seconds before he returned, and that was with Sasuke counting from the time he got out of line of sight to the time he got back in. So probably seven minutes of cleaning.

And, to be fair, he managed to do a pretty decent job. Sasuke could only guess that instead of the shower stalls that were in the locker room when he had been forced to take freshman P.E., they had been upgraded to a drive-thru car-wash with a high-pressure system. No one should have been able to get that clean that fast. Thank god his hair was still wet or Sasuke would have been _really_ worried.

Quirking a brow as the other jogged up to him, he gave him a quick once-over. As nice as the pants were, the football uniform really did not cut it for the dark-haired man. The t-shirt did not either, but on Naruto it just seemed to fit. That may have been because the words "I'm Fine" were scrawled across the front in boldface print, with a huge fake blood splatter on the side. Sasuke had heard about some of Naruto's bang-ups in practice, and how it usually took someone else noticing him bleeding before he realized. The guy was incredibly tough. Or dense.

And cute.

Right. Moving on.

Naruto came to a stop, hopping a couple of times to shake a rock or something similar out of the sole of his flip flop, and Sasuke bit back a grin, standing and pocketing his phone. "I would ask if you're ready, but you look like you're having difficulties," He commented softly, doing his best to work through his jittery nerves with a sense of faint amusement and nonchalance. Maybe it was working. He still had goosebumps.

"Nonsense," Was Naruto's automatic reply as he successfully dislodged whatever was in his shoe. He planted both feet down, crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. "I am perfectly ready."

"You sure? No rush." There was a hint of teasing in his voice, even as he bit his lip.

"You know, you're not as quiet and shy as I first pegged you to be," Naruto accused, squinting at him in mock scrutiny. "Set me up, didja."

Sasuke could not help the grin this time, ducking behind long bangs. "I suppose you bring out the worst in me."

"No no. You're getting your words all mixed up. I bring out the _best_ in you. Common mistake, but I understand. Now c'mon, I'm starving. Let's get food." And without further ado, Naruto slapped a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and began to steer him away from the football field. "Hm. Like ramen?"

* * *

That was a lot of food.

Sasuke eyed Naruto's extra-large bowl of ramen, the plate of _nigiri_ sushi (ten pieces!) and the _yakitori_ sizzling on the plate. He suspected Naruto could eat it all and still have room for dessert, too. Sasuke had been much more reserved with his _unadon, _knowing that the rice underneath the eel would be more than enough to fill him up.

Naruto blinked up at Sasuke, then grinned. "Growin' boy's gotta eat."

_'Man,'_ Sasuke mentally corrected, then had a moment of deja vu before realizing the same train of thought from the previous night. Ah, well. It was still true. Offering a slight smile behind dark bangs, the slighter of the two men broke his chopsticks and quietly ate.

Naruto was not as quiet, and while he was not quite the pig Sakura had accused him of being, he was certainly not... graceful. At one point, Sasuke glanced up from his very interesting rice to find the other had managed to get the sauce from his _yakitori_ on the corners of his mouth. There was also a piece of rice stuck to his cheek. Sasuke's lips pursed in amusement, and he gestured with his chopsticks. "Naruto..."

The other paused, mouth open and sushi half-way in. "Mmph?" He inquired only after shoving the piece into his mouth. "Waffisshit?"

Sasuke found himself biting his lip again, before he schooled his expression into something a little less shy schoolgirl-like and more of wry amusement. "Your face. You have sauce on your face."

"Oh," Naruto replied after swallowing his food. "Well, I'd clean it off but I'll be messy again before I'm done. So it can wait. Besides, if I clean it off, you can't lick it off, and where is the fun in that?"

Apparently the fun was in the color of Sasuke's face. Naruto stared at the paler man, before breaking off into laughter. "Oh, man, you are _so easy_ to tease. You're redder than a tomato."

_'And apparently fruitier than one,' _The Uchiha thought. Were his grip any tighter on his chopsticks, Sasuke was fairly certain they might snap in half. Instead, he scowled softly and glared down at his food bowl. His embarrassment and irritation at himself was interrupted by a soft thump of toes against his shin. Cautiously, the brunet lifted his gaze to the other who had cleaned his face, and was now grinning at him. "No sulking," Naruto chided. "Not allowed."

Sasuke made a face, scrunching his nose up. "I did not realize you were in a position to tell me what to do."

Naruto's grin widened to immeasurable proportions. "I'm not. But you obeyed anyway."

The flush across Sasuke's visage came back full force, and he ran a hand over his face, groaning softly. This man...

He stiffened, muscles tensing. And across from him, Naruto giggled impishly.

This man was playing footsie with him.

* * *

To say the rest of lunch went off without anymore embarrassment on Sasuke's part would be a boldface lie from congress. Naruto kept rubbing his toes against Sasuke's pants leg, pulling away when the Uchiha would look at him, only to return when the other dropped his attention back to his food. A few more insinuating words left Naruto's mouth, and Sasuke had no desire for dessert after Naruto commented on sharing something full of chocolate and whipped cream.

That was for the best. He hated sweets anyway. He had only been considering it because he knew Naruto loved them. Now, though, that would just end up with more teasing.

Now they were downtown, walking along the street. It was a typical day, with many people on the sidewalk, forcing Sasuke to walk behind Naruto more often than not. He did not mind, keeping his hands in his pockets and his expression one of casual, but distant attention to his surroundings. In fact, the world around him was proving to be quite calming to his otherwise rattled nerves. Naruto was whistling, some jaunty tune with a strange beat—something that Sasuke was unfamiliar with, but utterly certain was off-key. It made him crack a slight smile, glancing up at the mess of blond hair bobbing as Naruto walked. It was a good few minutes of silence on his part before he ventured, "So do you have an actual destination?"

Naruto tilted his head in thought, but did not look back to the man behind him. "Well... yeah. I just dunno how to get there. But I'll figure it out."

The soft snort that escaped Sasuke's nose probably did not reach Naruto's ears. He could press and find out just where Naruto was trying to get to, but suspected that might not work in his favor. So instead, he just chose to enjoy looking into the windows of the shops as they passed by. Just being in the blond's presence seemed to put him in a good mood, and so Sasuke really could not complain about the lackadaisical pace of their afternoon.

It was after a good few blocks and some turns later before Naruto lifted a hand to his forehead, and Sasuke could just imagine the squinting the other man was doing to see further down. Sometimes, Sasuke wondered if Naruto needed to wear glasses and just refused to tell anyone. His musings were distracted when Naruto made a pleased noise and approached a building on the corner. The style was modern, and Sasuke recognized it for what it was—an arcade.

He could not help the eye roll as he stepped inside, but he was smiling.

"You do play video games, right Sasuke?" Naruto called back as they stepped in, and Sasuke was now realizing the slight jingle as Naruto had been walking was a pocket full of change. He exchanged a large amount of quarters for tokens and grinned, turning to the Uchiha.

In return, Sasuke shrugged. "Depends on the game. I don't have a lot of time for such things, but some PC games aren't too bad..."

"Well. We're going to play the most bad-ass game that has ever graced the gaming community and you will enjoy it." Naruto grinned, which only made Sasuke worry. After all, the personality type of his biggest crush indicated Naruto's preferences in games were likely one of two things: hack 'n slash, or first-person shooting zombie games.

"We're going to play mother-fuckin' skeeball!"

Well. That was unexpected. But, that was how Naruto rolled.

* * *

No seventeen year old should have this much giddiness when playing a game, Sasuke was pretty sure. Naruto was good at it, too, and tickets just kept coming. Sasuke looked amused, folding his arms and simply enjoying the way energy seemed to roll off his crush as he tried new ways to roll the ball. Facing away, to the side... He even attempted a handstand, but discovered his balance was a bit too lacking. It was thanks to Sasuke catching him by the ankles that he did not crash into a passerby and Sasuke could not help the eyeroll as he helped the blond get himself upright.

"Naruto, I don't think being a gymnast is for you," Sasuke supplied helpfully as he aided the other boy to his feet.

"Well, damn. There goes my athletic career," The blond quipped, folding the tickets up. He winked at Sasuke and shoulder-bumped him. "Your turn."

"I'm having fun watching you play."

"I call bullshit," Was the prompt reply as Naruto took a couple of Sasuke's tokens and shoved them into the slot. "Now play, damn you." There was no malice in the words, but the command was there.

And much to Naruto's delight, and Sasuke's embarrassment, he obeyed.

* * *

A set of rolls later, and Naruto realized he might have to compete with Sasuke for who was the best skeeballer. "Either you sneak in here and practice, or you have a natural knack for rolling a ball up a ramp into a hole," Naruto mumbled as they walked up to the counter to turn in their tickets. Sasuke said nothing, trying not to smile. Underneath all of his introversion and shyness, there was a streak of competitiveness that would fight to show if he was not careful. It would do no good to go up against Naruto, because Naruto had no problem showing off how much he loved to compete.

So caught up in his musings, he had no time to react when something somewhat large, plush and decidedly orange was shoved into Sasuke's face. The brunet backed up and blinked, staring at the slanted eyes of a rather large plush toad, and then cut over to the wide grin Naruto was sporting as he peeked around the stuffed animal. "Whadaya think. Is this thing not cute or what?"

"It's... a frog."

"No, toad. See? It's bumpy. Toad."

"Excuse me... toad," Sasuke amended, leaning back. "Why a toad?"

"Because I like them. And I wish for you to share in the wonderful toadiness of toads. Here."

"What? What am I going to do with this?" Sasuke found himself asking as the large toy was shoved into his hands. Really, Naruto was pushy!

Naruto rolled his eyes and replied back with some measure of exasperation, "Well, you can either take it like a bitch, or you can take it like a good first date. Your choice."

And Sasuke's world came to a sudden, screeching halt.

_To be concluded in Part 5._

* * *

**AN: **_It's random, but whenever I write for Naruto, things just come out weird and random. Like me. I guess my version of Naruto is like myself. Also, skeeball was the shit when I was a kid._

_I also apologize for any mistakes. I don't let Fen the Beta read this, because I think he might strangle me for writing Naruto/Sasuke fanfiction, so it's best we not let that happen if you want this story finished._

_Oh, and I guess because I actually used some Japanese food in here, I should offer some definitions or something. No one kill me over details._

_Nigiri – Your classic sushi with the slice of fish laid out over a ball of rice._

_Unadon – barbequed eel served over a bowl of rice._

_Yakitori – Chicken kebob on a stick. Sometimes served with a sweetened soy sauce. _

_Comments are appreciated._

_PC_


	5. Chapter 4: Oblivious

**AN:** That awkward moment when you're looking through your works in progress and go "oh crap has it really been 5 months since I last updated?" Anyway, enjoy the final piece, which is brought to you by Emo-Kid-Sasuke.

* * *

**Complementary Colors**

_Chapter 4: Oblivious_

* * *

Sasuke was still staring at Naruto even as the blond put his remaining tickets into his wallet, as if what he had just said was nothing more than commenting on the weather.

He tried to speak, but all he managed was opening and closing his mouth a few times, as a few choked noises escaped him in the process.

Date? Date? This was a date? That could not be right! He would have known, right? Of course he would have! Sasuke was smart!

Oh,_ oh._ Now he got it. Logic returned with the crashing reality that this was a joke. Another one of Naruto's many jokes. Of _course_ he would joke about something like this, because Naruto made fun of everything in life.

It still sort of hurt, but Sasuke could not blame the blond. It was not like Naruto knew, after all. He was just acting as he normally would.

Tension left his body, until all that remained was weariness. He needed to stop getting worked up over all the innuendo and games. He was taking a joke way too seriously and it was only going to get himself burned.

There was little heart in the small smile he offered to Naruto who looked up at him. The blond blinked, then hitched a thumb toward the door. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

They left the arcade behind, Sasuke still holding onto the oversized toad plush. It was strange looking, and he rather wished Naruto had picked out something a little less...grand.

Of course, it would not be Naruto if it was not large, flashy, and obnoxious.

He grimaced. The more and more he thought about everything, the more bitter he was becoming about it. Who had he been fooling? Did he really think this was going to end well for him? He would either torture himself by being close to the blond and unable to do anything about it, or ruin a friendship because he _did_ do something about it. Really, Sasuke did not want to lose any of the camaraderie that was there.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he checked the time. Good, it was late enough he could make a viable excuse and get away with it. "Hey, Naruto. It's getting late. I need to be going."

Naruto slowed down in his step, falling into stride with the brunet. "Oh, man. I wasn't even paying attention to the time. Skeeball is a frickin' timesink, I tell ya."

Not even aware of the troubled waters Sasuke's mind was floating in, he continued. "We should totally do this again. Maybe like, in a couple of days? What's your schedule this week?"

Sasuke grimaced, eyes falling to the sidewalk. Why did he have to be so oblivious? And perfect? This was so stupid. "Uh, I don't know. I'll check on my schedule and get back to you, OK?"

"Oh... OK," Naruto blinked over at him in confusion, scratching his head. "You all right?"

Damn him. Sasuke nodded stiffly. "Yep. Thanks for the date, Naruto." It took himself a moment to realize his slip up and his eyes widened underneath dark bangs. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Naruto whip his head over to him.

Oh shit. Oh, _shit_.

However, the blond simply grinned. "Best one yet. No girls expecting me to buy everything, I got to go to an arcade, _and _you don't wear smelly perfume. Win-win all around."

Sasuke released the breath he was holding. This time, he could not believe himself for being relieved Naruto was so dense about his feelings.

They reached the intersection ahead of them, coming to a stop as they waited for the light. "I gotta go right. How about you?"

"Straight."

"Ah, OK. Well, I'll see ya later. Text me your schedule!"

Sasuke was about to reply when all of the sudden Naruto's hand cracked across his backside, which sent the brunet rolling up onto the tips of his toes, eyes wide open. With a cackle, the blond took off across the street.

"Bye, Sasuke-kuuuuuuuun!"

Flushing, the brunet stalked off, hiding his face from the other pedestrians with the toad plush.

* * *

The weekend came and went, and Sasuke managed to avoid Naruto through the first half the week. Sakura kept trying to pry information out of her friend, and in response Sasuke would ignore her in favor of the sudoku app on his phone. Eventually, she got frustrated and left him to his own devices. It was frustrating. He just wanted to be left alone; could she not see that? Once his heart healed a little bit, then he could tell her. Surely she would understand. He never kept anything from her unless it was too close to his heart or really important (like what he got her for her birthday last year. Sakura still had not realized Sasuke was never going to give her hints.)

However, it was Tuesday night when he got a text from Naruto asking about his schedule. Sasuke grimaced, because he had not thought up a good response to not hurt Naruto's feelings and keep his distance. He was not good at this socializing thing! He sat on his bed, staring at his phone for the better half of an hour, until he got a second text from Naruto, "Helllooooooo?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Not everyone lived on their phone.

Finally, after the third text Naruto sent that threatened to send pictures of mating toads if he did not get a response, Sasuke picked up his phone. Try as he might, he just could not be angry at the annoyingly cute blond.

He could be stern, though.

"_Sorry, been busy. I won't have time this week to do anything. Project due next Monday."_

That would at least keep him away for a while.

Unfortunately, Sasuke forgot to count in Naruto's ability to foil any and every plan.

Lunch came with Sasuke seeking out his preferred table in the corner of the cafeteria. A thick textbook was open in front of him, his eyes glued to the words as he idly munched on a carrot. He almost did not register someone sitting down next to him until he remembered only Sakura ever sat down beside him, and she did not smell like cologne.

Slowly, almost cautiously, Sasuke lifted his gaze from the details of the ilium, ischium and pubis to see Naruto staring at his text book, one blond brow arched incredulously. A mouthful of noodles hung out of his mouth, and he proceeded to slurp them up before lifting his eyes to Sasuke. "Huh. You mean the hip bone isn't one bone?"

Sasuke blinked several times in succession, unable to even dignify the comment with a response. Also, he was fairly certain Naruto did not share the same lunch period as he did. "Um. Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Batted my eyelashes until Iruka gave in and let me go early. Told him I had to meet up with a friend for a project."

"You lied?" Sasuke asked dubiously.

Naruto looked affronted. "What? No, no, I don't lie. You're my friend, and our project is planning on hooking Sakura with Neji. Whadaya think?"

Sasuke nearly choked on the piece of carrot he had been chewing. Coughing and sputtering he stared at Naruto. "What?"

"Well, OK, maybe that part is a bit of a fib, but man wouldn't that be funny? I think being a matchmaker would be hilarious!"

Of course, everything was hilarious to Naruto. Sasuke suppressed the urge to sigh, staring blankly down at his textbook. "Yeah, I bet."

Naruto blinked, glancing over at him. "What's bothering you? You're not usually so dour."

Sasuke was about to reply with "nothing" when he paused, brow furrowing. Looking back over at blue eyes, he could not help but blurt out, "You know what dour means?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, taking another mouthful of food. "I'm full of surprises, haven't you realized this yet, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sighed, blowing some of his hair out of his face. "Yeah, you are. Oh, I promised someone I would exchange notes with them. I'll see ya around." And before Naruto could even reply, the Uchiha had taken off.

Naruto stared after his new friend, his expression pensive.

* * *

"No, Sakura. I told you, I'm not going to talk about it!" Sasuke's words were laced with frustration, his normal quiet disposition forgotten. He paced his bedroom, phone against his ear. "What? Ugh, no. It has nothing to do with Naruto! I just have some stuff going on and I just wanna deal with it myself!"

Whatever his pink-haired friend was saying on the other side, it obviously was not pacifying. "Sakura, seriously, back off! I said I wasn't going to talk about it, and I'm not going to talk about it! Argh! Good night!"

Angrily, he hung up, flinging his phone onto his bed. It was a Friday night, and the week had been one of painful avoiding of Naruto _and_ Sakura. The latter was too wise for her own good, and it was driving Sasuke crazy. He did not want to lie, but he really just wanted to be left alone.

Couldn't a guy sulk in peace?

Running a hand through dark hair, the teenager glanced at his clock. Perhaps he could just go walk off some of his frustration and clear his head. Grabbing up his phone and wallet, he trotted downstairs and out of his house. The sky was already dark, but the clouds were sparse and the moon nearly full. Between that and the streetlamps, his way was well-lit. It took him little time to get down to the park he enjoyed frequenting, and he knew the paths well enough to not worry about the reduction of light.

There was nary a soul out in the park, and he rather enjoyed the solitude. Hands shoved in his pockets, he walked aimlessly through the trails and paths, finally coming up on his favorite bench. It overlooked the slight slope down to the lake, and was often where he sat when he came to feed the geese. With a flop he dropped down onto the bench, tilting his head up to the sky. Things sucked right now. Really, life could be much worse, he knew that, but it still did not mean things did not suck.

So caught up in his thoughts, he did not hear the crunching of grass until a figure came into his peripheral vision. He jumped as the other person sat down next to him, and it was only because he recognized Naruto's face that he did not deck him. Wide eyes stared at the blond who had leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Naruto... what are you doing out here?" Sasuke finally asked once he found his voice and his heart had stopped hammering in his chest.

Naruto shrugged, staring out over the water. "Sakura told me you'd be out here."

Sasuke stared. "Sakura?"

"Yeah. Said you like to go to the park when you wanna think."

Damn, Sakura knew him too well. "Oh. Wait, why were you talking to Sakura about me?"

Naruto sighed, rolling his eyes upward. "We were discussing how dense you were."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke could not help but feel a little insulted by that.

"Well, maybe it's my fault," Naruto amended, his tone becoming thoughtful. "I just assumed you'd figure it out without me having to spell it out for ya. But then you started acting all weird, and I kept wondering if I had done somethin' wrong."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Naruto," Sasuke said, exasperation leaking through his words.

Naruto propped his head up on his fist, tilting his face toward the teen sitting next to him. It was a strange expression, one of relaxed, casual thought. Finally, he focused his eyes on Sasuke and said, "I like you."

Sasuke arched a brow. "Yeah, I couldn't tell, with your animosity and unfriendly nature."

For once, he saw a look of irritation flash across Naruto's face. The blond paused, made a disgruntled face, and tried again. "Sasuke. I _like_ you. Like how I know you like me."

Naruto did not need the sun to see Sasuke stiffen, a stunned look on his face. The blond tilted his head more so, watching the teen beside him process the information. It was kind of funny to observe, and it took a lot of willpower on Naruto's part to keep from laughing, because then Sasuke would get the wrong idea.

"I..." The brunet started, trying to find words, before his brain finally blurted out, "I thought you were straight!?"

Naruto shrugged, "I never said that."

"I've _seen_ you date girls!"

"Yep. And?"

Sasuke stared, clearly perturbed. Finally, Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Why do we always have to categorize ourselves? I like who I like, and I really don't give a shit if you're a dude or a chick. If I like you, then I like you. It's simple; why are you making a big deal out of it?"

Sasuke shook his head, brain still fried from Naruto's declaration of interest, and easy explanation. All this time, he really _had_ been flirting and Sasuke had been utterly oblivious. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Naruto shrugged again. "I asked Sakura what would be the best way to approach you. She said 'be his friend before anything else.' So I figured I'd get to know you better, and just see where we ended up, but damn you're not very good at this. All the blushing and stuff was cute 'n all, but I almost gave up after you started ignoring me!"

Sasuke shrunk back a little, embarrassed, "Sorry... I just. I didn't think I had a chance, and I didn't want to hurt our friendship. So I tried to give myself space to get over you. Sakura was right, though. You being my friend really means a lot to me."

"It could be a lot more if you let it, Sasuke," Naruto said pointedly.

Sasuke ducked his head, grinning. "Think so?"

"Yeah, totally. You have no idea how much I wanna do things like this in public." Before Sasuke could prompt what 'this' was, Naruto grabbed his chin firmly and proceeded to drag his tongue up the side of Sasuke's cheek, as he had after Lee's party.

"Augh, Naruto!" Sasuke scowled, wiping at his face. Naruto broke into laughter, clutching at his stomach. "See? It's great!"

"It is not. And you will _not_ be doing that in public."

Wiping at the corners of his eyes, Naruto tried to reign in his laughter. "Fine, fine. How about this instead?" He leaned in only to find Sasuke's hand catching his shoulder, suspecting another prank. The brunet's eyes widened slightly as Naruto winked at him, his eyes twinkling. Unrelenting, he pushed against Sasuke's hand until their noses bumped, and their lips met briefly. He pulled back just enough to look at the brunet before him whose breath was coming out in soft, shallow pants, before he leaned in again.

This time, he got Sasuke to kiss back, and this time, when he pulled away, the brunet was breathless.

Grinning, Naruto flopped back beside Sasuke, grabbing his hand up and twining their fingers. Heart pounding in his chest, Sasuke simply focused on the lingering sensation of hot lips against his own and the warmth of Naruto's fingers through his.

He was totally going to buy Sakura a spa package for this.

-Fin

* * *

**AN: **_And there you have it folks. Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favs! I do apologize I don't much write in Naruto anymore, and hope this at least appeases some of you. Kenshin has taken back my heart with a fiery passion and an amazing live-action movie, so until I find the gumption to try and finish all my other old works, you won't see much of me in the Naruto world. Still, it's been great!_

_-Rainfelt_


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